20 



THE HARDWOOD RECORD. 



Market Report^ 



THE CHICAGO MAHKET. 



Dry hardwood stocks of all kinds con- 

 tinue in ratlier sliort supply in this mar- 

 ket. In comparing the situation tliis spring 

 with that of the spring 1S90. the last good 

 Inisiness year the hardwood trade enjoyed 

 Ijrevious to this one, we find conditions cun- 

 siderably different. The hardwood dealers 

 of Chicago began the year of 1899 with 

 large stocks of lumber. This year the 

 stocks were very light. By reference to 

 the files of the Record for May. 1899. we 

 find that at that time the prospects for 

 a large season's production of hardwood 

 lumber of all kinds were excellent. Now 

 the prospects are that the production will 

 be below the average. From all sections, 

 both North and South, our advices are that 

 the production of hardwood lumber for 

 this season will be light. From these com- 

 parisons you can see that there should be 

 more permanency to the present prices 

 than there was to the prices of 1899. We 

 ■ do not believe there has been a time in ten 

 years when dry hardwood lumber was 

 scarcer than it is at present, nor a time 

 when the prospect for production in the 

 near future was worse, so we cannot see 

 anything for us to do except to continue 

 on the bull side of the market. Prices 

 seem to be, on the whole, higher than they 

 were in 1899. There is scarcely a kind or 

 grade of lumber but is higher now than 

 at any time in ten years, and in some cases 

 two or three dollars higher. 



So much for stock on hand and prospects 

 for future supply. At the consuming end 

 conditions continue very favorable to the 

 hardwood lumber trade. Consumption is 

 now probably as great as ever before in 

 the history of the country and there ap- 

 pears no prospect that it will become less 

 in the near future. This is especially true 

 in Chicago, as the building trade is con- 

 suming more lumber than at any time since 

 the World's Fair. 



-Vnother strong feature of the present 

 situation in Chicago is the high price of 

 pine and cypress lumber. These woods are 

 very high in price and in very scant supply, 

 so that no matter what the price of hard- 

 wood lumber, there is no danger of sub- 

 stitution. 



The oak market continues very strong 

 and the past three months has seen an ad- 

 vance in all kinds and grades of oak, and 

 all are doing well with the exception of 

 quartered-sawed red oak. There doesn't 

 appear to be much future for the last 

 named wood, as it only brings a slight ad- 

 vance over plain sawed. Quartered white 

 oak in firsts and seconds is selling in Chi- 

 cago to-day at prices equal to tlie highest 



that have prevailed in years. Common 

 quartered oak is still a trifle slow, but 

 it lias made mucli improvement since the 

 first of the year, and iiromises in a short 

 time to do much better still. 



Plain-sawed oak in both red and white 

 is at top notch figures and while in 

 pretty fair supply seems to lie getting 

 stronger right along. 



Ash is in a scant supply and those who 

 have iLsed this wood in the past are being 

 forced to substitute something else. There 

 is still some ash offered and those having 

 (lesiral)le stock can obtain very good pric9<. 



Chicago is not and never has been a 

 very good poplar market, but poplar is 

 selling here at very strong prices. Cot- 

 tonwood, while offered in sufficient quan- 

 tity, is also changing hands at a very good 

 figure. As stated in our last issue bass- 

 wood is practically out of the market. The 

 new crop of winter cut stock wiTl begin 

 to arrive shortly, but it promises to be a 

 very light one. In Michigan stocks the 

 situation is strong. The amount of stock 

 carried over from last fall was not Jieav^ 

 and is coming into market now very 

 rapidly, but the prospective shortage in 

 this year's crop is so assured that prices 

 remain very strong. 



Taken altogether tlic liardwood situation 

 in Chicago could scarcely be better than 

 it is. 



GOTHAM GLEANINGS. 



New York, April 29, 1902. 



The local hardwood market is just as 

 strong to-day as it was two weeks ago, if 

 not stronger. A talk with wholesalers, 

 large and small, shows that there ;rre no 

 stocks to speak of at the mills, near rail- 

 road points, ready for shipment. As for 

 the mills away from shipping points, they 

 may have light stocks, but bad weather 

 and rough roads prevent their being moved. 



Jlauufaeturers this past winter were un- 

 able to get a large supply of logs, and so 

 stock is apt to be scarce with a big de- 

 mand. 



Prices are firm here and prompt de- 

 liveries are out of the question, orders for 

 delivery as far ahead as six or eight 

 months being the order of the day. 



Quartered oak is practically out of the 

 market, as far as any big supply of dry 

 stock is concerned. From $G5 to !|!68 is 

 obtained for firsts and seconds and cull 

 (luartered is selling at .'?.32 to .5!30. Plain 

 oak is in good call, with stocks scarce and 

 prices ruling firm at .fit to .$43; common, 

 .$30 to $31. 



Poplar is out of siglit in more ways than 

 line. Reasonable delivery for the better 



grades seems irapossilde. Wholesalers 

 who have stock for sale are olitaining flO 

 to .$43 for firsts and seconds, and $30 to 

 $32 for common. Culls are quoted at 

 $19..50 to $20. 



Ash in good demand, with stocks fair, 

 are liringing $41 to $43 for firsts and sec- 

 onds; chestnut, quite as scarce as poplar, 

 sells for $39 to .$42, and birch, at from $42 

 to $4.5, is in good call, but not plentiful. 

 Maple remains michanged, and ba.sswood 

 is firm, with stocks scarce and good stock 

 for immediate shipment absorbed. 



A temporary receiver for the assets of 

 the George Hagemeyer & Sons I.umljer 

 Company has been appointed in the per- 

 son of Alfred E. Onimen. The assets are 

 estimated fit $10,000. 



Robert Lloyd, who lias been conducting 

 the old established lumber yards of Wni. 

 Gibson, at Fourteenth street and Tenth av- 

 enue, has removed to Nos. 028 to 03 1 West 

 Fiftieth street. 



Hamilton H. Salmon, hardwoods, has 

 removed from No. 133 Front street to No. 

 88 Wall street. 



The illness of Mr. Crane at Seattle, 

 Wash., has necessitated the departure 

 thence of E. H. Lewis, who represented 

 Lewis & Crane in this city, at No. 18 

 Broadway. 



On Saturday last. Wm. Righter, of the 

 Wm. Righter's Sons Company of Phila- 

 delphia, sailed for England on the Cam- 

 pania, with the bride he had married in 

 Chicago on Thursday. 



Among recent visitors were: ,T. R. Eni- 

 bree, president South Side Lumber Com- 

 pany, Chicago; E. F. Henson, of E. P. 

 Burton & Co., Philadelphia; M. S. Tre- 

 maine, of Montgomery Bros.. Buffalo; W. 

 B. Millard, of the Millard Lumber Com- 

 pany, Rouse's Point, N. Y.; S. E. Sley- 

 maker. West "\^irginia; J. B. Blades, of the 

 Blades Lumber Company, Elizabeth City, 

 N. C; Pendennis White, North Tonawanda, 

 N. 1'.. and Ralph Gray, of the Columbia 

 Saw Mill & Lumber Company, Cleveland. 

 Lumber dealers in the metropolis were 

 interested last week in the reported ro- 

 mantic marriage of Miss Mary Elise Ross, 

 daughter of Sylvester Ross, of Ross & 

 Snyder, Brooklyn, to .Tames G. Darden in 

 Chicago. 



S. E. Kellar. the well-known maple floor- 

 ing dealer, has been in the West iind up 

 in (I'anada for about a week. He is due 

 to return some time this week. 



(.'Duverneur E. Smith (jf No. 18 Broad- 

 way is back from his honeymoon and is 

 again active in the hardwood market. 



The Haviland Lumber Company, re- 

 ceiitlj' incorporated with a capital of $.5,000, 



